Imatges de pàgina
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8. My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me, and the sight of mine eyes is gone from me. Psalm xxxviii. 10. 9. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me; my heart within me is desolate. Psalm cxliii. 4.

10. Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O, save me for thy mercies' sake. Psalm vi. 4.

11. Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble: Incline thine ears unto me when I call; O, hear me, and that right soon. Psalm cii. 2.

12. For my days are consumed away like smoke: my heart is smitten down and withered like grass. Psalm cii. 3, 4. 13. And that because of thine indignation and wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. Psalm cii. 10.

14. But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my age; forsake me not when my strength faileth me. Psalm cii. 24.

15. Wherefore in thee, O Lord, have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion. Psalm lxxi. 1.

II.

PSALM LI. }

HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences.

2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity: and cleanse me from my sin.

3. For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me. 4. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.

5. Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

6. But, lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and thou shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

7. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8. Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken, may rejoice.

9. Turn thy face from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds. 10. Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.

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11. Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

12. O give me the comfort of thy help again; and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

13. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

III.

HEAR my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire: hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake. Psalm cxliii. 1. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant : for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psalm cxliii. 2.

3. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17. 4. Lord, thou knowest all my desire: and my groaning is not hid from thee. Psalm xxxviii. 9.

5. I stretch forth my hands unto thee, my soul gaspeth unto thee, as a thirsty land. Psalm cxliii. 6.

6. Here me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Psalm cxliii. 7.

7. Haste thee to help me, O Lord God of my salvation. Psalm xxxviii. 22.

8. For thou art a place to hide me in: thou shalt preserve me from trouble: thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Psalm xxxii. 8.

9. Into thy hands I commend my spirit: for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. Psalm xxxi. 5.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

A Declaration of Forgiveness.

(From Bishop Cosins.)

I Do most humbly desire all, and every one, whom I have offended, that they would vouchsafe to forgive me: and I do freely and heartily forgive all the world, whereinsoever any hath offended me, or done me any manner of injury whatsoever, even as I desire to be forgiven of God, and to be absolved from my sins, for the merits of my blessed Redeemer.

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OCCASIONAL

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK.

A Prayer for a Person in the Beginning of his Sickness. (From Bishop Taylor.)

O ALMIGHTY God, merciful and gracious, who in thy justice didst send sorrow and tears, sickness and death, into the world, as a punishment for man's sins, and hast comprehended all under sin, and this sad covenant of sufferings, not to destroy us, but that thou mightest have mercy upon all, making thy justice to minister to mercy, short afflictions to an eternal weight of glory; as thou hast been pleased to turn the sins of this thy servant into sickness, so turn, we beseech thee, his sickness to the advantage of holiness and religion, of mercy and pardon, of faith and hope, of grace and glory. Thou hast now called him to suffer. Lord, relieve his sorrow and support his spirit, direct his thoughts, and sanctify his sickness, that the punishment of his sin may be to him a school of virtue. Make him behave as a son under discipline, humbly and obediently, evenly and patiently, that he may be brought by this means nearer to thee; that if he shall recover his former health, he may return to the world with greater strength of spirit, to run a new race of stricter holiness, and more severe religion; or if he shall pass hence through the gates of death, he may rejoice in the hope of being admitted into that heavenly society, in which all thy saints and servants shall be comprehended to eternal ages. Grant this, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Prayer for Thankfulness in Sickness.

O GOD, wonderful both in thy mercies and judgments, grant that the sense of thy servant's present afflictions may not cause him to forget thy former mercies, which thou hast bestowed upon him: O, therefore, let the remembrance of those many and great blessings that he hath so long enjoyed

at thy hand, be now the proper motives and incentives to the virtues of patience and humility, causing him cheerfully to resign himself to thy blessed will under all the dispensations of thy providence, though ever so hard; and patiently to wait for the return of thy loving-kindness in Jesus, which is better than life. Amen.

A Prayer for a Blessing on the Means used for a sick Person's Recovery.

(From Mr. Kettlewell.)

O GRACIOUS Lord, by whose word man lives, and not by any human means alone; direct, we pray thee, the counsels of those who prescribe to this thy servant, and prosper the medicines which are used to procure him ease and strength; but let not his confidence in them lessen any thing of his dependence on thee, but make him sensible that every good gift is from thee, and that it is thou that givest us help in time of need. To whom, therefore, but to thee, should we flee in the day of our visitation? since it is thy blessing only that maketh the means we use effectual; and, however vain the use of them is without thee, if thou biddest them, the things or accidents which we do not think of, or regard, shall recover us. O, therefore, as their part, who administer to him, is the care, so let thine, O God, be the blessing, and his the comfort and as he regards them as thy instruments, so let him own thee for the Author of his mercies, and to thee give thanks, and pay his vows and services: through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for a sick Person when there appears some Hope of Recovery.

(From Bishop Patrick.)

WE thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast heard our prayers for thine afflicted servant, and given him some respite and hopes of recovery from this great illness. Blessed be thy goodness, that he hath not made his bed in the dust, but is likely to continue still amongst us, in the land of the living: Blessed be thy goodness for so great (and lately unexpected) mercy to him.

And, O thou Preserver of men! who hast begun to revive

and quicken him again; go on to perfect his cure, and forsake not the work of thy own hands. Repair all the decays in his outward man, that his mind may also recover its former strength, to praise and bless thy goodness to him.

And visit him, in the mean time, with thy heavenly consolation from above. Fill him with comfortable thoughts of thy love, and of the tender compassionate care which our Lord Jesus takes of all his afflicted servants. Endue him still with more patient submission to thy will, and enable him both quietly to wait upon thee; till thou hast finished his recovery, and also to continue steadfastly resolved to serve thee more faithfully with his restored strength, through Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

Another, in Behalf of the sick Person, when he finds any Abatement of his Distemper.

ACCEPT, O Lord, of the unfeigned thanks of thy servant for abating the fury of his present distemper, and giving him some hopes of raising him up again to praise thee in the great congregation.

IT is a great mercy, O Lord, and owing to thy goodness only, that his senses are preserved entire, and that he hath some respite, after so much uneasiness and pain, through the violence of his illness.

O perfect, if it be thy blessed will, what thou hast begun in him, and say to the distemper, 'It is enough.'

Teach him hence to look up to thee continually, as the rock of his salvation, whence only he is to expect comfort and support and give him grace always to make such a right use of thy favours, that he may daily find himself surrounded by the light of thy countenance, and enjoy the blessings of thy heavenly benediction in all his ways, whether in adversity or prosperity, in sickness or in health. Even so, blessed Lord, continue to assist, strengthen, comfort, and bless him, both now and for evermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Prayer for one who is dangerously ill.

O ALMIGHTY God, 'gracious and merciful, and long suffering, whose compassions fail not;' look down, we beseech thee, upon the low and distressed state of thy servant, now lying in the extremity of sickness. The harder his illness presses upon

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